Oakland protesters who took over foreclosed home arrested

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A dozen anti-Wall Street protesters who had taken over a foreclosed home in Oakland were arrested on Thursday, protest organizers said.

The home, which protesters said they were using as housing for formerly homeless individuals and as a community meeting space, was taken over on December 6 during a national day of action they said aimed to support homeowners as they resisted evictions from foreclosed homes.

The Occupy movement, which argues the U.S. economic system is unfair with too much wealth and power held by a few, began in New York in September and quickly spread, with tent camps sprouting in many cities.

But many of the encampments have since been cleared by authorities, often on the basis that they had become unsanitary or had growing safety and crime problems.

The December 6 day of action had also been an attempt to revive the national Occupy Wall Street movement. A handful of previous attempts to take over vacant or foreclosed property in the Bay area failed when protesters were evicted by police.

Video footage of the arrests posted on the Internet showed police calmly leading out protesters with their hands cinched behind their backs and placing them in a police van. Police were not letting anyone into the two-story green house after the arrests were made.

The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for details about the arrests.